My first car was technically my sister Ann’s first car.
Our dad bought the car for ‘us’ but Ann was the only one old enough to drive.
No worry, I got to go wherever the car went. Ann wasn’t always happy to haul little sister along, but she did. She knew I always saved my cash and would have gas money.
The car was a 1954 Ford. She was a beautiful yellow and white car. Built like a tank.
It was one of a kind in our county, so wherever it showed up, everyone knew the Grimes girls were in town.
It was a simpler time than in the 1960s.
We went to the movies, bowling, teen dances, and always “cut the square” in Colusa. In Colusa, cutting the square was equivalent to dragging Main in other towns.
We could trust that old Ford to get us wherever we needed to go. It saw its share of rural roads. We learned that we could fit at least 15 teens in the car. Luckily, the sister of the officer who stopped us was in the car. No ticket issued.
When it came time in the 1980s to buy our daughter her first car, it was of course a 54’ Ford. We figured the tank of a car was a safe choice for a young driver in North Dakota.
Our daughter and her pals say they pushed that car more than they drove it.
I guess we were right.
Memories are sweet and life is good today. ■